Passive Spool Fuel Scheduling With Solenoid Control for Secondary Nozzles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fuel injectors with passive flow scheduling valves face challenges in efficiently managing flow at varying conditions, leading to noise and potential structural issues in gas turbine combustors, requiring costly and weight-intensive adjustments.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a solenoid valve connected to a hydromechanical valve spool in the injector, allowing for active regulation of flow through primary and secondary circuits, with proportional control options to adjust flow area and mitigate noise, using a solenoid valve that can return to a passive state in case of power loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional passive flow scheduling valves are used, then the system is simple and reliable, but flow control precision is insufficient leading to noise and structural issues
Solution Approach 1:
A solenoid valve is introduced as an intermediary component between the fuel source and the passive flow scheduling valve. The solenoid valve provides active flow control by modulating fuel delivery to the scheduling valve, enabling precise control of flow rates while the passive valve continues to handle flow distribution. This intermediary approach allows active control without completely replacing the proven passive valve architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces purely mechanical passive flow control with an electromechanical system. The solenoid valve uses electromagnetic actuation to control fuel flow, substituting mechanical pressure-based control with electrically controllable flow modulation. This allows for more precise and programmable flow control while maintaining the mechanical passive valve for flow scheduling.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If additional flow dividing hardware and fuel manifolds are added to mitigate noise, then noise is reduced, but weight and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the active control function from the overall flow management system and isolates it to a single solenoid valve component. Instead of adding complex flow dividing hardware and additional manifolds throughout the system, the control function is concentrated in one electronically controllable valve, significantly reducing the weight and complexity additions while achieving noise mitigation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from purely mechanical pressure-based flow control to electrically modulated flow control. By using the solenoid valve to precisely control fuel flow rates and timing, the system can optimize combustion characteristics to reduce noise without requiring additional physical infrastructure like extra manifolds or flow dividers.
3Measurement precision
If active control of flow scheduling is implemented, then flow control precision improves, but power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solenoid valve provides active control only when needed for precise flow scheduling, rather than continuously operating at full capacity. The valve can operate in partial modulation modes, opening only as much as necessary to achieve the desired flow rate, thereby reducing power consumption while maintaining control precision. The passive valve handles the bulk of flow management when active control is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The passive flow scheduling valve continues to perform its flow distribution function autonomously without requiring external power or control signals. The solenoid valve provides supplemental active control only when precise flow scheduling is needed, allowing the system to operate in a self-service mode for routine operations and switch to active control only when necessary, minimizing overall power requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables fine-tuned control of fuel flow, reducing noise and structural stress, allowing for active patternation in fuel injection without adding significant weight or power requirements, while maintaining reliability and efficiency across different flow conditions.
Implementation Method 1
A solenoid valve is connected in fluid communication with the scheduling valve assembly, wherein the solenoid valve is configured to adjust position of a hydromechanical valve spool of the valve assembly
Implementation Method 2
The valve spool can be biased to a closed position by one or more biasing members of the scheduling valve assembly
Implementation Method 3
The valve spool can include a piston with an orifice therethrough. The piston and orifice can be configured to regulate pressure differential across the valve assembly
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A system includes an injector (102) having a scheduling valve assembly and a nozzle in fluid communication with the valve assembly. The scheduling valve assembly is configured for regulation of flow from an inlet of the injector (102) to the nozzle. The injector (102) includes two fluid circuits between the inlet of the injector (102) and two respective outlets of the nozzle for staged flow output from the nozzle. A first one of the two fluid circuits is a primary circuit, and a second one of the two fluid circuits is a secondary circuit. A solenoid valve is connected in fluid communication with the scheduling valve assembly, wherein the solenoid valve is configured to adjust position of a hydromechanical valve spool of the valve assembly.